Someone Is Going To Die

When "M*A*S*H" killed off Lt. Col. Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) in the 1970s, you know when the cast and crew found out? Second before they filmed the scene in which the actual characters found out. So the director of the show was able to film the characters/actors reacting in shock to the news, which of course, stunned the viewers as well.

If "M*A*S*H" came out today, we'd have a rumor mill started by TV Guide that would say, "One of these characters is going to die. Take our poll to see which one it is." Then the promos on CBS would run, calling this the episode no one can miss.

I bring this up because it used to be, back in the old days, producers liked the shock value when they killed someone off suddenly. It's one thing if the character is already dying, such as Mark Greene on "ER" a few years ago, to promote the episode in which he dies. That's expected (and was beautifully shot; the show never reached as high a point since).

But these days, the "someone is going to die" promos have almost become cliche, and half the time the person getting killed off isn't one of the stars, but one of the recurring characters.

I don't know when the trend started (I think it might have been "Beverly Hills 90210" when they killed off that recurring friend of Brian Austin Green's) but I do know that the trend has been incessant.

Someone is scheduled to die on "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) tonight, and we know it won't be Booth (David Boreanaz), who was shot last week. And since we know it won't be Bones (Emily Deschanel), it becomes a sort of Russian Roulette guessing game as to whom it will be.

And tomorrow night, someone will die on "NCIS," which ironically managed to keep a pretty good lid on things when they killed off Kate (Sasha Alexander) a few seasons ago. No one saw that coming. In last week's blog, I listed whom I didn't want to die, but it's a virtual guarantee one of those characters is gone because they've been throwing so many hints that it's going to be Jenny (Lauren Holly) that it almost can't possibly be her.

The point is, death in real life is supposed to be a shock most of the time, and especially in shows about crime, so why not go back to making it a shock by NOT PROMOTING IT OVER AND OVER? The quick answer: the producers are trying to lure lapsed viewers back to the show by promoting the big, stunning item and keeping viewers guessing with their own death pools.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: Following "Bones," which has been something of a disappointment since its post-strike return, "House" (Fox, 9 p.m.) has to risk his life to save Amber, aka Cutthroat Bitch. I hope it's not a spoiler to say House won't die, what with the show being named after him and all.

CBS wraps up its comedy season with the final new episodes of "Big Bang Theory," "How I Met Your Mother," "2 1/2 Men" and "Rules of Engagement," beginning at 8 p.m. Since the network hasn't run a promo of a death, I'm guessing all of those sitcom characters are pretty safe. I'm not so sure about "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m.

If they let the contestants fight to the death on "American Gladiators," (NBC, 8 p.m.) it might make the show more interesting and jack up the ratings, which were abysmal last week.

ABC is all reality tonight with "Dancing With The Stars" winding down its season while "The Bachelorette 4" kicks off.

Finally, I think it might just be people dying socially on "Gossip Girl" (CW, 9 p.m.) and "One Tree Hill" (CW, 9 p.m.), but really, is there anything worse?

Fox Howls At Commercials

A few interesting things from the Fox upfronts this week, not the least of which is Fox execs say they will cut down the number of commercials for new announced series "Fringe" and "Dollhouse" when they debut next season.

The idea is to "re-invigorate" the action adventure genre, the execs said.

It's an interesting idea. With the continued penetration of DVRs into the general market, commericals are becoming a thing of the past anyway, not to mention people who watch their favorite shows online. In fact, the whole paradigm of TV is shifting because commercials are becoming less and less viewed on the tube, and that's what pays for the shows. With the ratings system also becoming antiquated because of time-shifted shows, a whole new model on how to pay for TV and measure viewership needs to be devised.

One thing Fox president Peter Liguori didn't mention was how Fox would make up for the lost revenue of not airing as many commercials.

Both "Fringe," from "Lost" producer JJ Abrams, and "Dollhouse," from "Buffy" creator Joss Whedon, are among the only new dramas announced by the network for the next season. "Fringe" will air Tuesdays in the fall following "House," giving it a strong lead-in.

Meanwhile, "Dollhouse," Whedon's sci-fi thriller project with actress Eliza Dushku, won't air until January. Some are worried that this means it could be another short run for a Whedon show on the network (witness the shoddy treatment of "Firefly" a few years ago), but that may not be the case. Because of the baseball postseason and the NFL, Fox often delays some of its bigger shows until the winter, a' la "24" and "American Idol," where they debut to a little more fanfare and run straight through without pre-emptions. With the less commercials, that could mean a greater freedom in ratings, giving the Whedon project a much better chance than "Firefly" had.

Fox may also introduce a spinoff for "House," but the catch is, it won't be a medical drama. Fox plans on introducing a detective (Michael Weston) on a couple of episodes of "House" next season, which will serve as a potential backdoor pilot if the character takes off.

Here is Fox's fall lineup:

Monday
8 p.m. — ‘‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’’
9 p.m. — ‘‘Prison Break’’
Tuesday
8 p.m. — ‘‘House’’
9 p.m. — ‘‘Fringe’’
Wednesday
8 p.m. — ‘‘Bones’’
9 p.m. — ‘‘’Til Death’’
9:30 p.m. — ‘‘Do Not Disturb’’
Thursday
8 p.m. — ‘‘The Moment of Truth’’
9 p.m. — ‘‘Kitchen Nightmares’’
Friday
8 p.m. — ‘‘Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?’’
9 p.m. — ‘‘Don’t Forget the Lyrics!’’
Saturday
8 p.m. — ‘‘COPS’’
8:30 p.m. — ‘‘COPS’’
9 p.m. — ‘‘America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back’’
Sunday
7 p.m. — ‘‘The OT’’ (NFL Post-Game)
8 p.m. — ‘‘The Simpsons’’
8:30 p.m. — ‘‘King of the Hill’’
9 p.m. — ‘‘Family Guy’’
9:30 p.m. — ‘‘American Dad’’

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: "Doctor Who" (Sci-Fi, 9 p.m.) will get a giant shot of nostalgia. Not only does Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) return to the show, but she also works in the Doctor's old job as the scientific advisor for UNIT. Who are the villains this week? The Sontarans. Actually, they visit next week as well, since it's a two-parter. It follows new "Sarah Jane Adventures" at 8 p.m. And Kara brings the Cylons back to the fleet on "Battlestar Galactica" at 10 p.m.

CBS wraps up Friday nights with the season finales of "Ghost Whisperer" at 8 p.m. and "Numb3rs" at 10 p.m. Meanwhile, a number of female TV viewers will curse the network when the series finale of "Moonlight" airs at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, "Robin Hood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) is brand-new, while "America's Most Wanted" (Fox, 9 p.m.) celebrates its 1,000 capture.

On Sunday, "The Simpsons" (Fox, 8 p.m.) wraps up its 19th season, while, unfortunately, "Aliens In America" (CW, 8:30 p.m.) wraps up for good after the season finale of "Everybody Hates Chris."

"Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 9 p.m.) finishes up the season with a two-hour episode.

Getting ready for that Indiana Jones movie, but you don't know what a crystal skull is? Sci-Fi attempts to tell you with the documentary (I use the word in the loosest sense) "Mystery of the Crystal Skull," (Sci-Fi, 9 p.m.) I made it through the first hour learning little more about the skulls than I already knew (which is next to nothing), but too many conspiracy theories about aliens, Atlantis and the end of the world on the Mayan calendar caused me to skip the second hour.

Finally, "The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.) is brand-new.

Finale Thursday

OK,so ABC isn't wrapping up tonight, but a bunch of other shows are.

The CW airs the season finales of "Smallville" and "Supernatural" beginning at 8 p.m. A bit of good news on the "Smallville" front - Allison Mack will be returning next season as Chloe. I'm assuming Jensen Ackles will also be back as Dean Winchester even though his soul is ticketed to go to Hell tonight.

Earl has to choose between continuing his list of good karma and Alyssa Milano on the hour-long finale of "My Name Is Earl." Tough choice. I'm still thinking...

It's followed by the hour-long finale of "The Office" (NBC, 9 p.m.) which promises a few shockers as well as the departure of Toby in favor of Oscar nominee Amy Ryan as the new HR person.

More isn't necessarily merrier, though. The supersized versions of the NBC sitcoms that ran this year haven't been among the best of either series by any means.

Speaking of NBC follies, check out this interview with "Scrubs" creator Bill Lawrence, courtesty of TVGuide: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Lawrence/800039701

No wonder NBC is a fourth-place network these days. Meanwhile, Steve Buscemi guest stars on the season finale of "ER" at 10 p.m.

CBS wraps up "CSI" (CBS, 9 p.m.) by paving the way for the departure of legally-challenged Gary Dourdan, whose character is legally challenged as well. It's followed by the season finale of "Without a Trace."

Speaking of weird programming, ABC isn't wrapping up tonight, but rather setting up its finales over the next two weeks. "Ugly Betty," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost" are all new tonight. "Lost" is essentially a three-part finale, but the final two episodes won't air for two weeks.

Meanwhile, "Betty" and "Grey's wrap up next week, with the latter having a two-hour finale, which is why "Lost is being broken up. Fear not, though. "Lost" will re-air tonight's episode in two weeks at the 8 p.m. slot.

Incidentally, some more good news. The "Lost" producers confirmed that the two episodes that got nixed this year because of the strike will be made up over the show's final two seasons. So we'll get two 17-hour seasons rather than 16 as originally planned.

Cool Web Site

Every so often I throw my screenwriting experiences onto this blog.

For those of you who ever thought of penning your own TV script, have I got a Web site for you: http://tvwriting.googlepages.com/

On that site are actual sample scripts and some show bibles to dozens upon dozens of TV shows, some still in production, some defunct. Most of the scripts are saved in .pdf formats and are easily accessible.

For the average TV fan, it's an interesting way of looking at how your favorite show is filmed by putting the shooting script out there to be compared to the final episode that hit the airwaves. For the budding writer, it's a good way in hearing "the voice" that producers of the show use to create their product.

Even if your favorite show or writer isn't listed, who couldn't learn something from reading the likes of Aaron Sorkin or David Milch?

MONDAY RATINGS: Maybe reality/game shows aren't the instant moneymakers people thought they were. While "Dancing With the Stars" easily won its time Monday night with 18.27 million viewers, the return of "American Gladiators" got dunked into a water tank, pulling in only 4.9 million - a 37 percent dip from what "Deal or No Deal" drew in the same timeslot.

"How I Met Your Mother" got another Britney Spears bump, pulling in 9.02 million, surpassing lead-in "Big Bang Theory" (7.88 million) and almost equalling "Bones" (9.4 million). Meanwhile, "The Bachelor" finale (9.18 million) edged "Medium" for second place at the 10 p.m. hour, behing some 13 million for "CSI: Miami."

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: Of course, a dip in the ratings doesn't mean the networks will stop putting reality/game shows into primetime. The aforementioned "Deal or No Deal" (NBC, 8 p.m.) occupies two hours tonight before a new "Law & Order" at 10 p.m.

"American Idol" (Fox, 9 p.m.) cuts from three finalists down to two, following new episodes of "Til Death" and "Back To You."

"Criminal Minds" (CBS, 9 p.m.) and "CSI: NY" (CBS, 10 p.m.) are both new, as is "Boston Legal" (ABC, 10 p.m.)

More Pickups

ABC guaranteed itself at least 90 minutes of my viewership per week next season by renewing "Eli Stone" and picking up "Scrubs" from NBC.

Though "Eli's" ratings were middling, it's one of those rare shows that struck an emotional chord, and really picked up week after week. (Between "Eli" and "Pushing Daisies," has any network had a better year creatively with its new shows than ABC?) This is a star-making turn for lead Jonny Lee Miller, and the supporting cast is terrific. (I am, however, demanding at least one Victor Garber musical number every other episode, ABC).

"Scrubs" star Zach Braff announced the show's long-rumored switch to ABC on his MySpace page yesterday. "Scrubs" has long been one of my favorite sitcoms, and it deserved to go out on its own terms, not with a strike-truncated season. Now creator Bill Lawrence can write the finale he wanted to for next year.

"Reaper" (CW, 9 p.m.) also will return. After its outstanding pilot, the show struggled creatively, but has shown signs of life over recent episodes by examining the Hell hierarchy. And Ray Wise has been Emmy worthy as the Devil.

CBS' "The Unit" somehow defied the odds and bought another season. As TVGuide's Michael Ausiello noted yesterday, the show is slated to run on Fridays at 9 p.m. next season, leaving the fate of cult favorite "Moonlight" up in the air. My gut feeling is that "Moonlight" will survive somehow, even as a midseason replacement. "How I Met Your Mother" should be getting its official renewal soon (so enough with the Britney Spears appearances, guys), but "New Adventures of Old Christine" is still in limbo. However, indicators remain strong that it will join "Scrubs" and switch to ABC if CBS doesn't pick it up.

Among the not-so-lucky were ABC's "October Road" and "Women's Murder Club." The former was savaged by critics, but I thought the latter had some potential which never quite panned out.

There have also been a bunch of new projects announced, including ABC's "Bad Mother's Handbook," starring Alicia Silverstone and Megan Mullally; a Ryan Seacrest reality show for NBC called "Momma's Boy;" and a Fox reality show called "Secret Millionaire," in which real-life millionaires go undercover to live in bad neighborhoods, where they meet poor people, to whom they will give money in the final episode. Who said TV is running out of good ideas?!?

Previously announced new shows on CBS include "The Ex-List," based upon a popular Israeli series about a woman destined to be with a guy she previously broke up with; problem is, she doesn't know which of her ex-boyfriends it is; "Eleventh Hour," Jerry Bruckheimer's adaptation of a BBC thriller (the original starred Patrick Stewart and Ashley Jensen); and "The Mentalist," starring Simon Baker. There's also a Jay Mohr sitcom on the slate. CBS is also mining the wedding market with "Harper's Island," a murder-mystery set on an island during a wedding, and the sitcom "Worst Week of My Life," seemingly similar to ABC's failed sitcom "Big Day."

Finally, PBS announced a new version of the children's classic education show, "The Electric Company." Unlike the version I grew up with, I'm guessing this one won't have Morgan Freeman or Spider-Man appearing regularly. I hope at least they bring back "Letter-Man."

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Someone is supposed to get killed on "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.), and I'm starting to get worried that it will be someone I like rather than Director Shepherd, whom I don't care too much about and who seems to be gettiing written out anyway. I mean, they can't kill off Gibbs (Mark Harmon), but it would truly suck if they killed off Tony, Ziva, Ducky or McGee. (It'd also suck if they killed off Abby, but I don't think the producers would ever do that. I hope.) Of all the above, I worry the most about Ziva. Even though Don Bellisario is no longer associated with the show, he has a history of constantly replacing the female leads. "JAG," the show that spun off "NCIS," went through three other female leads in its first season before they settled on Catherine Bell. Ziva (Cote De Pablo) herself was brought in after a couple of other women to replace Kate, who was killed off, who was the replacement for another actress who appeared in the backdoor pilot from "JAG." Plus, they focused on the germ-phobic agent a couple of weeks ago. I know the episode has already been shot, but guys, please don't kill off Ziva. It's followed by a new "Shark."

Catch "Women's Murder Club" (ABC, 10 p.m.) while you can; if follows the "Dancing With The Stars" results show at 9 p.m.

"Reaper's" penultimate episode follows the finale of "Beauty and The Geek" (CW, 8 p.m.)

"American Idol" (Fox, 8 p.m.) is down to its final three and is followed by a new "Hell's Kitchen." "Law & Order: SVU" (NBC, 10 p.m.) is also new.

Finally, "Frontline" (PBS, 9 p.m.) is doing a documentary on climbers who were trapped on Mt. Everest during a blizzard.

Bubbles Burst On Some Shows

The fates of a few shows were decided over the weekend, as Fox announced it won't be bringing back "New Amsterdam" or "Back To You," while The CW is dropping the sublime "Aliens In America." Meanwhile, ABC has inexplicably picked up "Boston Legal" for a fifth season.

I'm not sure which is more painful, seeing "Boston Legal" back for another year or "Aliens In America" go away. The former is a ridiculous show that vacillates between comedy and drama (not in a good way) and ends up stealing Emmy votes from more worthy competitors. During its long hiatus this year, no one seemed to miss it.

The latter was the best new sitcom on TV, albeit one of the most ratings-challenged. It's style and sharp writing was reminiscent of "Malcolm In The Middle" at its height, and the show had a lot of charm to go with it. And its central theme of a Muslim student transplanted to Midwestern America offered sharp insight without ever becoming preachy.

As for the Fox shows, "New Amsterdam" never seemed to find any momentum after getting retooled from its original pilot and airing during the strike. There was enough of interest there where I would have liked to have seen a few more episodes, but I won't be losing any sleep over its departure, either.

"Back To You," which included a stellar cast of Kelsey Grammer, Patricia Heaton, Fred Willard and others, and a stellar crew, didn't live up to the hype. It's premise of a TV news crew seemed tired when compared to the TV classics "Mary Tyler Moore" and "Murphy Brown." With all of the talent attached to this project, maybe my expectations were too high, but the laughs just weren't there.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: She's back! Tabloid diva Britney Spears reprises her role as a dim receptionist on "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 8:30 p.m.), along with the sublime Sarah Chalke as Ted's (Josh Radnor) love interest. Spears was perfectly adequate last time, but did bring in much-needed ratings with her appearance, so let's hope it's more of the same. It's part of an all-new lineup that includes "Big Bang Theory," "2 1/2 Men" and "Rules of Engagement," all followed by a new "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m.

"Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) gives a shameless plug for "American Idol" tonight, while "House" (Fox, 9 p.m.) begins a two-part season finale.

"The Bachelor" (ABC, 10 p.m.) makes his final choice tonight. I'm sure the relationship will be long-lasting and produce lots of grandchildren in the future.

"American Gladiators" (NBC, 8 p.m.) returns to the air tonight with a two-hour premiere. Let's hope they cut down on the boring interviews and up the action this time around. It's followed by a new "Medium" at 10 p.m.

Finally, "Gossip Girl" (CW, 8 p.m.) and "One Tree Hill" (CW, 9 p.m.) present new installments.

A Tip Of The Cap To TV Moms

Every Mother's Day, the media always polls TV fans as to who was the best TV mom. It generally is divided among the usual suspects - June Cleaver of "Leave It To Beaver," Carol Brady of "The Brady Bunch," Claire Huxtable of "The Cosby Show," Harriet Nelson of "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," and so forth.

Me? No disrespect to those ladies, but I like my TV moms with something of an edge to them. Besides, no mom is as perfect as the ones listed above (except my Mom, who is. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!)

So, in no particular order, a few of my favorite TV moms:

--Sarah Connor (Lena Headey), "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" - Listen, any mom who teaches you how to strip down an assault rifle and make bombs while you are still in your early teens has a certain amount of cool to her. On the other hand, it's probably a good thing John Connor is humanity's savior, because I certainly wouldn't want to be disciplined by a mother who could kill man six different ways while unarmed.

--Lois (Jane Kaczmarek), "Malcolm In The Middle" - Though often scary to her kids - and with those kids, she had to be - Lois was a brilliant creation as the mom from hell who did everything she did out of love. Together with Bryan Cranston as Hal, one of my favorite TV couples.

--Peg Bundy (Katey Sagal), "Married: With Children" - Arguably one of the worst, most self-involved mothers on TV, Peg was hilarious in her devotion to bon-bons and driving Al to an early grave.

--Marge Simpson (voiced by Julie Kavner), "The Simpsons" - Marge is forced to put up with quite a lot dealing with Homer and the kids, so it's no small wonder that Homer is always scared she will leave with someone else, from the French bowling instructor in Season 1 to a trophy husband after she became mega-rich by opening a gym this season.

--Bree Van Der Kamp (Marcia Cross), "Desperate Housewives" - I stopped watching "DH" a while ago, but it wasn't because of the magnificent Cross, who stole every scene she was in as the anal-retentive, Martha Stewart clone. Since Susan (Teri Hatcher) is always a disaster and Lynnette's (Felicity Huffman) holier-than-thou act wore thin long ago, Bree is the most interesting of the women who are actually moms.

--Joyce Summers (Kristine Sutherland), "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer" - It took a while for Joyce to deal with the fact that her daughter was The Chosen One, that lone girl destined to fight the forces of darkness. But once she did, things really picked up for Joyce, especially the time in Season 3 she comforted a heartbroken Spike. And of course, when Joyce died in Season 5, it was one of the best-written, most memorable episodes of the series, a testament to loss and how much it means having a great mom in your life.

Who are some of your favorite TV moms?

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: Though she has no children, it's hard to argue that Pres. Laura Roslin (Mary McDonell) isn't a maternal figure to the remaining 40,000 or so humans left. Roslin is going to be a pretty critical figure over the next few episodes of "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi, 10 p.m.), even moreso than usual. It follows new episodes of "The Sarah Jane Adventures" at 8 p.m. and "Doctor Who" at 9 p.m.

We learn Mick has a son, a pretty neat trick for a vampire on "Moonlight" (CBS, 9 p.m.) Hopefully, Mick's kid isn't kidnapped by his mortal enemy and taken to a Hell dimension, something that is wont to happen to the offspring of vampires. It follows a new "Ghost Whisperer" and is followed by a new "Numb3rs."

On Saturday, "Robin Hood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) is all new as the Sheriff is set to deploy a new secret weapon against the Merry Men.

On Sunday, speaking of Marge Simpson, Homer's fugitive mom (Glenn Close) returns to Springfield once more on "The Simpsons" (Fox, 8 p.m.)

One of my favorite new TV moms has to be Franny (Amy Pietz) on "Aliens In America" (CW, 8:30 p.m.) Pietz steals every scene she's in on this overlooked sitcom, and should be an Emmy nominee. It follows a new "Everybody Hates Chris."

"Masterpiece" (PBS, 9 p.m.) continues with part 2 of "Cranford" with an all-star cast. Also new among period costume dramas is "The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.) as Henry meets Jane Seymour for the first time.

'Scrubs' Finale - Perhaps

Tonight marks the possible series finale of one of my favorite sitcoms, "Scrubs" (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) I say possible, because there have been reports that ABC, which produces the show, will pick it up for one more season since NBC has officially dropped it.

I hope ABC does. Tonight's finale is a tribute to both "The Princess Bride" and "Monty Python" as Dr. Cox (John C. McGinley) tells his son Jack a bed-time story involving members of the cast. It's something completely different, but for the "Scrubs" cast and crew, different is pretty normal.

What tonight's episode isn't is the series finale that creator Bill Lawrence had dreamed up before the strike. Because of the shortened season and production time, Lawrence wasn't able to put into effect what he wanted to do. So a move over to ABC would allow the series to wrap up on its own terms.

"Scrubs" has never been ratings gold, in part because it's never been a traditional sitcom. More accurately, the show could be described as a dramedy in the vein of "M*A*S*H," mixing comedy with drama. It's developed a rich and talented cast that perfectly complements each other.

If tonight is indeed the finale of "Scrubs," there is a silver lining. Sarah Chalke, who plays Elliott on the show, would be free to expand her work on "How I Met Your Mother," in which her character of Stella would almost certainly be revealed as the unknown mother in the title. In the ideal world, the scheduling would work out where Chalke could do both shows, helping "Scrubs" wrap up on ABC while integrating herself with the terrific "HIMYM" cast.

GOOD NEWS FOR "BAD": AMC made it official by renewing its other breakout hit "Breaking Bad," giving the network one of the best one-two punches in original drama along with "Mad Men." "Bad" revolves around a dying high school chemistry teacher (an Emmy worthy Bryan Cranston) who turns to making crystal meth in order to provide for his family after his death. This could be my favorite new show of the season, and one I strongly urge you to catch when AMC starts reruns.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: "Scrubs" isn't the only sitcom wrapping up tonight; "30 Rock" (NBC, 9:30 p.m.) also ends its second season with the return of Edie Falco. "My Name Is Earl" (NBC, 8 p.m.) and "The Office" (NBC, 9 p.m.) are both new, but both will be on for at least another week. They are followed by a new "ER" at 10 p.m.

Clark (Tom Welling) must find out who carved Kryptonian symbols into Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) on "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.), while the Winchester boys must split up to tackle two cases on the criminally underrated "Supernatural." (CW, 9 p.m.)

Tonight's "Lost" (ABC, 10 p.m.) is Locke-centric, giving Emmy winner Terry O'Quinn yet another chance to shine as we finally meet the mysterious Jacob. Perhaps. It follows new installments of "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's Anatomy."

On CBS, there's one guy and four women left on "Survivor" (CBS, 8 p.m.) Hmm, I like those odds. Meanwhile, the writers of "2 1/2 Men" get to return the favor to "CSI" by penning tonight's episode, in which a sitcom star (Katey Sagal) is murdered and everyone is a suspect. It's followed by "Without A Trace" at 10 p.m.

More Hollywood Labor Fun

Remember the strike that crippled the movie and TV industry for several months? It's hard not to; we are still feeling the effects of the truncated TV season.

Well, the possibility exists that labor troubles may not be over.

It just moved across the wires this morning that the studios have broken off talks with the Screen Actors Guild, claiming their demands are "too high."

Does this mean we are looking at another potential work stoppage during the summer, when the actors' contract expires?

I'm guessing not. The last strike, between the studios and the writers guild (the actors joined the strike in sympathy), lasted months and centered around issues that included residuals for new media and DVD sales. At the end of the strike, both sides took a hit in the public opinion and cost the movie industry hundreds of millions of dollars.

I doubt the public would be willing to endure another work stoppage, nor can many people in the industry afford to be out of work again. Also, now that the writers guild and directors guild contracts are in place, there is a framework for the actors and the studios to work with in crunching the numbers.

Part of the problem here is that the studios are dealing with two unions this time around - SAG and the smaller AFTRA. Though many actors are members of both, there is a lot of animosity between the two unions, which are negotiating separately. With that wedge, it puts more power into the hands of the studios, which broke off contract talks after 18 days of negotiations.

But the studios should remember that their attempt to break the writers' solidarity failed and not count on breaking the actors' unions.

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: Part of the fallout from the labor issues was the increase in non-scripted shows on the air, and it's no more apparent than tonight.

Only CBS has more scripted fare tonight than so-called reality, but even The Eye kicks things off with "The Price Is Right" before going into new episodes of "Criminal Minds" and "CSI: NY."

Fox has new episodes of "Til Death" and "Back To You," beginning at 8 p.m. before the "American Idol" results show at 9 p.m.

A new "Law & Order" (NBC, 10 p.m.) airs after a two-hour "Deal Or No Deal."

Finally, both ABC and The CW are completely unscripted. The former airs a lineup of "Wife Swap," "Supernanny" and the Barbara Walters hour-long special about her new autobiography, "Audition." The latter gives us the likes of "America's Next Top Model" and "Farmer Wants A Wife."

Barbara On 'Oprah'

Two titans of the talk show world meet up today when Barbara Walters of "The View" goes on "Oprah" (WMAZ, 4 p.m.) to promote her new autobiography that also hits bookstores today.

I've never really been a huge Barbara Walters fan -- I don't like "The View" and I always skip the "Barbara Walters Specials" on ABC -- but she is something of a TV pioneer as the first femae co-anchor of the evening news in 1976.

The book has already drawn a certain amount of notoriety because it details Walters' affair with U.S. Senator Richard Brooke, the first African-American elected to the Senate. Though I'm not a fan of adultery by any means, I actually have more of an issue of a journalist sleeping with a public figure she's supposed to be covering. Compromising objectivity downgrades the whole profession.

Walters, however, can't complain about the advance publicity for her book. In addition to the "Oprah" appearance, she is also getting a one-hour special on ABC Wednesday night at 10 p.m. called "Audition: The Barbara Walters Journey."

ELECTION COVERAGE: A few weeks ago, I said the networks should limit themselves to one network covering key political events, and that it should rotate around.

Interestingly, since we're in the sweeps period, none of the networks are covering the Indiana and North Carolina primaries live, instead opting for original programming. (Although I'm certain they will be interrupting the shows with news breaks and a crawl giving constant updates). So you'll have to tune into one of the cable news networks for the running totals in these key primaries.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: If you are fine with limiting your political knowledge to the news crawl and limited news breaks, there's plenty of new stuff around the dial.

It's hard to believe, but "Dancing With The Stars" (ABC, 8 p.m.) has already reached 100 episodes, and will be running back-to-back episodes tonight, followed by a new "Women's Murder Club" at 10 p.m.

That "other" music reality show, "American Idol" (Fox, 8 p.m.), is down to its final four contestants and is followed by "Hell's Kitchen."

CBS has new episodes of "NCIS" and "Shark" beginning at 8 p.m., while NBC has a new "Law & Order: SVU" at 10 p.m. "Reaper" (CW, 9 p.m.) is also new.

Finally, a couple of documentaries of note. "American Experience" (PBS, 9 p.m.) examines the presidency of the first President Bush, while "Bud Greenspan: At The Heart Of The Games" (ESPN2, 9 p.m.) details the life and experiences of the great Olympics filmmaker.

2 1/2 CSIs

In the past, I've blogged about how much I love crossover episodes of two different TV series. Detectives from "Homicide: Life On The Street" would appear on "Law & Order" and so forth.

But tonight begins one of the weirdest TV crossovers ever. Tonight's episode of the hit sitcom "2 1/2 Men" (CBS, 9 p.m.) was written by a writing team from "CSI" and includes a guest starring appearance by "CSI" star George Eads as a crime scene investigator.

On Thursday, the "Men" writers return the favor by scripting this week's "CSI," about the murder of a difficult sitcom star (Katey Sagal). That episode is supposed to be full of in-jokes, since it was written by "Men" creator Chuck Lorre, who had a notoriously stormy relationship with Cybill Shepherd when he created her sitcom "Cybill" in the mid-90s.

It's certainly not a crossover that would have ever occurred to me. It's not like I watch either series, but I can't say the thought has ever popped up during a drama that said "Boy, this show would be much better if it was written by sitcom guys."

On the other hand, the switch could be a positive one for a couple of reasons. For one, shows that have been on the air for a while, even if they are hits, could use a shake-up from time to time, and bringing in different writers with a fresh perspective is one way to do that.

Another positive is that the writers themselves get to stretch their creative muscles for a bit by writing something completely different, including a different format.

My guess is that the "CSI" episode will work a little better, because comedy is one of the most difficult genres to write, and Lorre is bringing a lot of his own background into the "CSI" episode.

I'm wondering if both episodes do well, will CBS continue to switch around more writing staffs, and will other networks jump on the bandwagon? Perhaps the writers of "Numb3rs" could do an episode of "How I Met Your Mother," in which Barney uses complex mathematical algorithms to optimize picking up women, while the "Numb3rs" team from 30 years in the future recalls a case from 2008.

The possibilities are endless.

"MEN IN TREES" AXED: ABC won't be renewing "Men In Trees" for next season, TVGuide.com is reporting. The Anne Heche series jumped around the schedule a lot, making it difficult pick up an audience.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: By the way, there are plenty of drama writers who can do comedy just fine, so I'm not dissing the "CSI" writers with tonight's "2 1/2 Men," which anchors new episodes of "Big Bang Theory" and "HIMYM," and is followed by "Rules of Engagement." Although I have to point out, "CSI" isn't as unintentionally funny as "CSI: Miami." (CBS, 10 p.m.)

For example, some of the best comedy writing of the season was done last week on "House" (Fox, 9 p.m.), as House and Cutthroat Bitch battled for custody of Wilson, who just hung around in the background helpless against the schemes of his best friend and his girlfriend. This week, House (Hugh Laurie) kidnaps his favorite soap star when he diagnoses him while watching an episode. It follows a new "Bones."

ABC sandwiches "Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) with "Dancing With The Stars" and "The Bachelor."

"Gossip Girl" (CW, 8 p.m.) has a character outed out of the closet. It's followed by "One Tree Hill" at 9 p.m.

LiLo's Big Comeback?

TVGuide's Michael Ausiello is reporting that ABC's "Ugly Betty" is in talks to not only bring tabloid queen Lindsay Lohan aboard for the season finale, but for a good chunk of episodes next season. You can read about it here: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Lindsay/800038711

When I saw the headline, I immediately thought about the impact Britney Spears had on "How I Met Your Mother" - her appearance, though brief, drew the highest ratings to what turned out to be one of the best episodes of the season (not because of Brit, who was perfectly adequate for her small role, but for guest star Sarah Chalke, who turned in an Emmy-worthy guest performance).

"HIMYM" is returning with a second episode for both Spears and Chalke that will no doubt get a lot of buzz.

Clearly, "Ugly Betty" is hoping for a similar style ratings bump if it can land Lohan, who has become more infamous for her disastrous tabloid life than her acting. The difference, though, is that back in her pre-partying days, Lohan was actually a pretty decent actress, and with the right role (and her head on straight) could be so again. And with the paparazzi-inspired world of "Ugly Betty," she could be an inspired choice.

THURSDAY RECAP: When you have as much good TV as there is on Thursdays, staying up until 2 a.m. to watch it all is certainly worth the lack of sleep.

I'm running out of adjectives to describe how great "Lost" continues to be. I did have one thought about last night's episode that did worry me, so if you haven't seen it yet, be forewarned of spoilers.

****SKIP TO THE END****


****WHY HAVEN'T YOU SEEN LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE, ANYWAY?*****

****STILL HERE?****

OK. So one of the things my dad keeps asking me about this show is "Are they supposed to be dead?" I never presumed they were before, but after last night's episode, that possibility now looms.

Witness the conversation between Hurley and Jack in the future, where Hurley states he believes as much. When Jack disputes the argument, Hurley points out that Jack is living in what would be a heaven-like scenario for him - with Kate and Aaron, back to his old job as a top surgeon.

The part that worried me was the smoke detector scene, in which Jack hears the beeping of the smoke detector in the hallway - it sounded like the beeping of a heart monitor. Is Jack really in some sort of coma, and the smoke detector was some sort of subconscious effort to deal with the beeping? Perhaps Jack never woke up after Bernard gave him the ether.

As much as I love the series, I'd hate for there to be a big reveal where it was all someone's dream. We'll see.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: The other unmissable series on TV for me right now continues to be "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci-Fi, 10 p.m.), which sees the return of the Cylon Leoben, who joins up with Starbuck's crew on the garbage scowl searching for Earth. And Tyrol continues his downward spiral, though the writers are going to be hard-pressed to come up with anything that matched the scene last week between him and Adama in the bar. It follows new episodes of "The Sarah Jane Adventures" at 8 p.m. and "Doctor Who" at 9 p.m.

CBS has an all-new night of "Ghost Whisperer" at 8 p.m., followed by "Moonlight" and "Numb3rs."

A new "Robin Hood" (BBC America, Sat., 9 p.m.) premieres Saturday.

On Sunday, "Masterpiece" (PBS, 9 p.m.) kicks off the three-part "Cranford," about life in an English village. The all-star cast is led by Oscar winner Judi Dench and is based upon the novel by Elizabeth Gaskell.

"Cold Case" (CBS, 8 p.m.) wraps up its season, followed by two episodes of "Dexter" beginning at 9 p.m.

"The Simpsons" (Fox, 8 p.m.) kicks off Fox's animation lineup by having the family go to the Sundance Film Festival. The CW is also new, including "Everybody Hates Chris" at 8 p.m. and "Aliens In America" at 8:30 p.m.

"The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.) is also brand new.

Finally, "Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 9 p.m.) and "Brothers & Sisters" (ABC, 10 p.m.) continue to wind down their seasons.

Elseworlds

DC Comics used to have special issues called "Elseworlds," in which various characters would find themselves in different circumstances than what we were used to seeing them in. The idea was that these stories never happened in the continuity of their various titles, but rather, what if something different happened.

What if Batman was a 16th century pirate? What if Superman's rocket had landed in communist Russia during the 1940s? Etc.

When I wrote my spec script for "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.) a couple of years ago, it was entitled "Elseworlds." Through a bit of technology, Clark (Tom Welling) was able to see what life would have been like had he been adopted by Lionel Luthor rather than the Kents. Let's just say I brought the idea of sibling rivalry to a whole new level between Clark and Lex (Michael Rosenbaum).

Clearly, that script was never bought, because I'm still here doing this blog for you guys, but "Smallville" does finally visit an Elseworlds scenario for tonight's 150th episode, directed by Welling. As Brainiac (James Marsters) flies back to Krypton of the past to assassinate the young Kal-El, Clark wonders if the world might not be better off without him. The spirit of his father gives him a slice of what that might be like.

Lex is President, with Brainiac as his chief of staff and Kara (Lauren Vandernoot) as his enforcer. Lois (Erica Durance) is a Pulitzer Prize winner investigating Lex's sinister plans.

As a comics enthusiast, I've always enjoyed the Elseworlds ideas that the writers have come up with over the years (Marvel Comics has a similarly themed series called "What If?") While "Smallville" is hardly the first series to tackle the "It's a Wonderful Life" dilemma, at least it can fall back upon the DC Comics tradition of Elseworlds to justify it.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: "Smallville" isn't the only CW series to play with an alternate reality; Dean Winchester experienced his own version last season on "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.) Tonight, Dean gets a visit from a spirit claiming to be that of his father.

Addison (Kate Walsh) makes a one-night return to "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 9 p.m.) from her spinoff "Private Practice," no doubt sending "Grey's" fans into a frenzy. It follows a new "Ugly Betty" at 8 p.m. and precedes a new "Lost" at 10 p.m. as Jack falls gravely ill, and Kate and Juliet rush to save him. Ah, to be nursed back to health by Kate and Juliet...

"CSI" (CBS, 9 p.m.) must be investigating Vulcans, because several victims turn up with green blood, followed by a new "Without A Trace," which presumably has no Vulcans.

Earl is finally awake on "My Name Is Earl" (NBC, 8 p.m.), which kicks off the network's terrific comedy lineup of "Scrubs," "The Office" and "30 Rock," followed by a new "ER" at 10 p.m.

Finally, the documentary "Carrier" (PBS, 9 p.m.) wraps up tonight.

Late Night Shuffle

On vacation last week, I didn't get around to reporting the news that former "SNL" cast member Jimmy Fallon will be replacing Conan O'Brien on NBC's "Late Night" when O'Brien gets the "Tonight Show" gig next year.

My brother and his friends, who follow the late night talk show circuit a lot more than I do, seem to think this will be a disaster of Titanic proportions because none seem to be fans of Fallon. They aren't the only ones that are worried.

One TV critic, Tim Goodman, wrote a column wondering if would-be movie star Fallon would be able to reduce his own ego in favor of his guest's, something that every talk show host needs to do (though somehow Larry King has managed a career for 40 years without being able to do this). Another critic, Alan Sepinwall, seemed to think the opposite, that Fallon wouldn't have enough of a personality to make a go of things.

My thoughts? Let Fallon actually tape a show or two before passing judgment.

Here's the thing. I remember when O'Brien was first named Letterman's replacement. Here was a guy who hadn't appeared regularly in front of a camera or an audience who was taking over for the most popular host on TV at that point. Needless to say, no one thought much of Conan's chances, but a decade-plus later, he seems to have done well enough for himself.

The late night circuit is something of a crapshoot, anyway. I never thought much of Jimmy Kimmel before, but with his recent brilliant Matt Damon-Ben Affleck-Sarah Silverman love triangle videos, he's riding a huge wave of popularity.

On the other hand, Chevy Chase, who had a very successful movie career, may go down as the worst talk show host in history.

Now people are questioning whether Conan, arguably the top host right now not on a show produced by Comedy Central, can take over "The Tonight Show," which skews to an older audience than his. I'm guessing if you ask an NBC exec, they are counting on Conan's appeal among younger viewers to cut into the Comedy Central juggernaut of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report."

Meanwhile, people are pointing to Fallon's lackluster movie career and the success of his former SNL partner Tina Fey as to reasons why he will fail. I'll point out that A) few people are as hot as Tina Fey right now, or as funny in general, and B) the six people who watched the movie "Collision Course" probably never imagined that Pat Morita's partner in that flick would be able to successfully replace the legendary Johnny Carson.

Let's see Fallon do his thing, and then pass judgment.

AROUND THE DIAL: It's going to be very difficult for anyone to replace the late Stanley Kamel as a recurring character on "Monk," but the producers have signed the always reliable Hector Elizondo to play Monk's (Tony Shalhoub) new therapist. ... Oscar nominee Amy Ryan will be joining "The Office" as a guest star as Toby's replacement, while Oscar and Emmy nominee Angela Bassett will be joining the cast of "ER" for its final season next year. ...

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: Can we please siphon just one of Thursday's great shows over to Wednesday's? Just one? Seriously, it'd free up my TV watching greatly to spread the wealth.

As it is, "American Idol" (Fox, 9 p.m.) dominates the night following new episodes of "Til Death" and "Back To You" on Fox.

"Criminal Minds" (CBS, 9 p.m.) is new, as is "CSI: NY" at 10 p.m., which squares off with a new episode of "Boston Legal" (ABC, 10 p.m.) "Law & Order" (NBC, 10 p.m.) follows a two-hour "Deal Or No Deal."

The CW is debuting the new reality show "Farmer Wants a Wife" at 9 p.m. I'd watch, but I'm worried my liver will force its way into my neck, cutting the flow of blood off to my brain. Come to think of it, that may be the only way to watch this show.

Finally, the documentary series "Carrier" (PBS, 9 p.m.) continues tonight.

'Shark' Swims Again

Tonight marks the return of the law drama "Shark" (CBS, 9 p.m.), a show fairly derivative of Fox's superior "House."

The main difference between the two shows is that the larger-than-life lead character, Sebastian Stark (James Woods), is a lawyer and has a teenaged daughter while House (Hugh Laurie) is a doctor and completely alone.

But both shows are structured essentially the same. Stark and his minions get a weekly case that seems unwinnable, only to have Stark pull a brilliant legal trick to win in the end. "Shark" isn't a bad show, but is a good example of the sort of formulaic hour-long crime dramas CBS is famous for.

One of main things I wish "Shark" would do more of is develop the supporting cast better. Though the supporting doctors on "House" don't get a whole lot to do, at least we care about them as people. In "Shark," we rarely get that with the lawyers working for Stark.

Tonight's episode, the first new one since the strike, picks up with Stark facing both criminal charges and losing his law license after helping cover up a murder for his client (Jonathan Banks) years earlier. But that character is a small fish, and a tough U.S. Attorney (Paula Marshall) is pushing Stark to help net Banks' sociopathic partner, who ordered the original murder to cover up a bigger crime.

It's a pretty strong episode and something of a roller coaster ride as we see Stark facing up to the worst mistake he's ever made and risking losing everything. Marshall, who is filling in for Jeri Ryan while Ryan is on maternity leave, has some good chemistry with Woods.

The worst moments for "Shark" for me are usually the ones with his daughter (Danielle Panabaker), who is written as so consistently whiny and annoying, it's hard to care about her. She continues that streak tonight.

I'm not sure if "Shark" has been officially renewed yet, so the ratings for the next few episodes in its new timeslot could be critical. A new episode of "NCIS" at 8 p.m. as a lead-in should help.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Another crime drama that is testing a new timeslot and night for a ratings boost is "Women's Murder Club," (ABC, 10 p.m.) back with a new episode and new showrunners. This quirky little crime drama could get a big boost not only from switching away from the Friday night wasteland, but also following "Dancing With The Stars" at 9 p.m.

"Law & Order: SVU" (NBC, 10 p.m.) has guest star Robin Williams playing a character who does all sorts of crazy antics. Boy, never seen that before.

Fox's highly rated reality lineup of "American Idol" and "Hell's Kitchen" puts its contestants through the grinder once more.

On cable, "The Riches" (FX, 10 p.m.) is all new.

Finally, the documentary "Carrier" (PBS, 9 p.m.) continues tonight. It follows a rerun of "Nova," also about giant naval vessels, this one about the sinking of the Japanese supership the Yamamoto in 1945.

Back In The 'House'

OK, back from vacation and back in Macon. (Yes, I did post four times last week while on holiday, making me the coolest TV critic ever, especially since I don't get paid for this).

I guess karma is rewarding me with the first new episode of "House" (Fox, 9 p.m.) since the strike. This time, our favorite curmodgeon is stuck with a cheery patient.

It should be interesting to see how "House" fares on its new night after being a staple of Tuesdays. It helps to have the natural pairing of "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) as a lead-in. As I've often written, both shows are natural complements of the other.

SUNDAY NIGHT SHOUT-OUT: After all this time, "The Simpsons" still manages to make me laugh. Thanks to Matt Groening & Co. for working the Bayeux Tapestry into the opening couch sequence. Well played, sir, well played.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: One great thing about being in the sweeps period is that the networks pull out all of the stops. This period is especially important, because the last one in February was seriously affected by the strike. The networks use the ratings generating during sweeps to set ad prices, so it's the most critical time of the year in terms of revenue for the networks.

Maybe that's why "Deal Or No Deal" (NBC, 8 p.m.) is trotting out a "Star Wars" themed episode, which includes the 26 models dressed in the Princess Leia slave bikini from "Return of the Jedi." It's followed by a new "Medium" at 10 p.m.

CBS is all-new with its comedy lineup, plus "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m.

"Gossip Girl" (CW, 8 p.m.) is new and features "Buffy" alum Michelle Trachtenberg, followed by "One Tree Hill."

Finally, the documentary "Carrier" (PBS, 9 p.m.) continues to feature life aboard a US Navy ship.

A Wee Bit Of Heartbreak For Me

It was kind of a good news/bad news day for me yesterday, courtesy of the WWW.

As you loyal dozens know, I (try to) knock out screenplays and teleplays in my spare time. Not full-time, mind you, because that would require me selling something and making some money, and I'm not in danger of that any time soon.

Anyway, in this golden age of Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV with the revival of the "Doctor Who" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m.) and "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi, 10 p.m.) franchises, my ultimate dream was to lead the revival of "Blake's 7" back to TV.

Since I'm sure most of you have never heard of it, let alone seen it, "B7" was a BBC sci-fi series that ran four seasons from 1977-81. Created by Terry Nation (also the creator of the Daleks, BTW) and brilliantly written (albeit with cheesy, 1970s BBC special effects), the series told the tale of Blake, a freedom fighter who battles against the totalitarian Earth empire in a dystopian future.

What I loved about the old series was that Blake and his crew weren't really the good guys, more like anti-heroes. And the bad guys weren't all that evil, just very bureaucratic. The end of the series was one of the most memorable ever. (Let's just say the good guys don't win).

In this post-9/11 world, where shows like "BSG" achieve the pinnacle of good science fiction by providing an allegory to our own world and values, I always thought "B7" would be a perfect candidate. After all, from different perspectives, Blake is either a freedom fighter or a terrorist. In our world where terrorism remains such a prominent problem, what better thing than to look at the issue in a futuristic way?

Well, apparently I'm not the only one to think this way. Sky TV announced yesterday that "B7" would be revived as a TV series. The Hollywood Reporter article can be found here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/international/news/e3if57cb0c541e56ebf5d7d34e9c0e33ed9

The guys shepherding the project do have experience in the "B7" universe - they produced a radio series last year.

It's not that I resent them, but this was always my screenwriting fantasy. I mapped the whole thing out in my head, how it would pay tribute to the original series but be updated with a post-9/11 spin. I even came up with my own killer ending and a dream cast. Of course, one of the first things would-be screenwriters learn is not to write about copyrighted properties they don't own, which is why you will never see my killer "Batman" movie idea, by the way.

Sadly, unless I win the lottery tomorrow and buy out the "B7" rights, all of this will remain in my noggin, another dream to be unfulfilled.

On the bright side, I'm hoping these guys capture some of that "BSG" magic and do justice with the new "Blake's 7" so that it becomes the pop culture phenomenon that Galactica has become.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: As noted above, Sci-Fi is all-new tonight, including the "Sarah Jane Adventures" at 8 p.m.

Speaking of fantasy shows, "Moonlight" (CBS, 9 p.m.) returns after a long, strike-induced layoff with a new episode. Though on the bubble, this show has a loyal core of fans, particularly of the female persuasion over star Alex O'Loughlin. It anchors new episodes of "Ghost Whisperer" at 8 p.m. and "Numb3rs" at 10 p.m.

On Saturday, BBC America will have a mini-marathon of "Robin Hood" before airing the brand-new (on this side of the pond) second season at 9 p.m.

On Sunday, PBS takes a break from "Masterpiece" with the docu-drama "Carrier" at 9 p.m. about life aboard a US Navy carrier.

Fox's animation lineup, led by "The Simpsons," is all-new.

A new "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers & Sisters" on ABC take on a new "Cold Case" and "Dexter" on CBS, beginning at 9 p.m.

"Wire In The Blood" (BBC America, 8 p.m.) airs a new installment.

Finally, "The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.), which was just renewed for a third season, continues with a new episode from Season 2.

Too Much TV!

Everything on Thursday is back and it's all new. Get those VCRs and DVRs fired up.

In fact, it's been such a long time that we've seen some of these shows that I can't remember where we left off.

For example, how did we leave things on "Ugly Betty?" (ABC, 8 p.m.) I remember Bradford Meade dying and Betty trying to choose between Gio and Henry, but other than that, it's all a blank. The networks might have done a better job with a few reruns here and there after the strike.

I suspect there will be some fans of "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC, 9 p.m.) in the same boat, especially which couples are still together and which aren't, and who kissed whom most recently. Of course, that's a scorecard that changes seemingly every week on that show, so maybe they aren't as badly off.

Of course, "Lost" (ABC, 10 p.m.) last aired a new episode last month, and had a pretty memorable ending of Ben's surrogate daughter Alex being menaced by a sniper. ABC also showed the rerun last week.

Another favorite of the TV Guy, "Supernatural" (CW, 9 p.m.) is back after a long absence and follows a new "Smallville" at 8 p.m.

The CBS lineup - "Survivor," "CSI" and "Without A Trace" - is all-new, as is the NBC comedy lineup and "ER." Note that "Scrubs" and "30 Rock" have flip-flopped on the schedule - the former is now at 8:30 p.m. behind "My Name Is Earl" while the latter follows "The Office" at 9 p.m.

Finally, Fox is airing a two-hour "Fifth Grader" beginning at 8 p.m. (thank goodness I have other choices). More of note is "Great Performances" (PBS, 10 p.m.), featuring Antony Sher's one-man show "Primo," which tells the tale of a survivor of Auschwitz.

Facing The Reaper?

Tonight marks the return of "Reaper" (CW, 9 p.m.) to its regular timeslot with a new episode.

One of the most hyped new shows this season of any of the networks, "Reaper" hasn't really established an audience and is a bubble show for next year.

For me, the show has been inconsistent. On the one hand, it features an Emmy worthy comic performance by Ray Wise as the Devil, but it also features one of the most irritating performances on TV from Tyler Labine as Sock, the best friend of the show's hero Sam (Brett Harrison).

"Reaper" has added two amusing guest stars (Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black) as friendly, gay demons who help Sam out. It remains to be seen over the show's final few episodes if "Reaper" is strong enough creatively and in the ratings to earn a reprieve for next season.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: At the beginning of the season, I noted that "NCIS's" recurring storyline with Armand Assante as an arms dealer was pretty much a letdown with its resolution. Apparently, the producers decided to beat that dead horse once more as the FBI investigates Director Sheppard (Lauren Holly) tonight (CBS, 8 p.m.)

NBC shows a rerun of "The Best of Chris Farley" (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) before a new "L&O: SVU" at 10 p.m. "Boston Legal" (ABC, 10 p.m.) is also new.

Finally, feeling the pinch at the gas pump? Check out tonight's "Nova" (PBS, 8 p.m.), in which Car Talk guys Tom and Ray Magliozzi search for a new car and explore all of the alternative fuels out there.

Robin Sparkles Again

One of the best things about "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) is that the series will set up a joke during one episode and carry it on as a running joke through the series.

One of the best is the "Robin Sparkles" persona of Robin (Cobie Smulders), when she was a teen mall queen pop star back in Canada. The video of Robin is still around the Web where she sings "Let's Go To The Mall."

Tonight, the subplot is revisited with a plethora of guest stars as Robin meets up with her high school boyfriend (James Van Der Beek), and we also see Alan Thicke and real-life teen mall queen Tiffany. I'm fairly certain we get another cheesy pop video as part of the package.

It's one of the aspects of the show that I love, along with everything from suiting up to slap bets.

If you want an introduction to TV's best sitcom, you could do worse than tonight's installment, part of a whole new night of CBS comedies.

SARAH CONNOR RETURNS: TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello is reporting that though it isn't official, the cast and crew of "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" will be returning for a second season. It's good news, as "SCC" had surprising emotional impact to go along with its action.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) is new, but not all-new. Tonight's episode was originally shot last season, but it centers around the death of a college basketball star. Because it was set to air right around the time of the Virginia Tech shootings last year, Fox wisely decided in would be in poor taste to air it, so it is finally hitting the airwaves tonight.

"Gossip Girl" (CW, 8 p.m.) has been deliberately drawing attention to its return tonight with a racy campaign that seems to fit in perfectly with the show itself. It's followed by a new "One Tree Hill."

"Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) is sandwiched by "Dancing With the Stars" and "The Bachelor," while "Medium" is brand new at 10 p.m. on NBC.

The Doctor Is In, Again

Anxious to find out what happened to the Doctor (David Tennant) after the TARDIS crashed into the Titanic at the end of last season's finale of "Doctor Who?"

Wait no more. Season four of the new series of "Doctor Who" (Sci Fi, 8:30 p.m.) begins tonight with the 90-minute Christmas Special "Voyage Of The Damned." No creepy Father Christmas robots or homicidal Christmas trees this time around, though they are fondly remembered.

As we last left the Doctor, he had just left Earth after Martha Jones stayed behind after their run-in with The Master. Moments later, the Titanic breaks through one of the TARDIS walls. Needless to say, the Doctor needs to investigate how this crash occurred. Turns out, the Titanic he boards isn't remotely the same one dramatized by Kate and Leo. On board, he meets a colorful cast of characters caught up in the same mystery and danger, including a waitress named Astrid (Kylie Minogue).

Though much of the humor and whimsy that is a hallmark of "Doctor Who" is still present, the episode also has a tinge of sadness to it as the Doctor is lonelier than ever.

The Doctor will spend much of the early part of the season with Donna (Catherine Tate), the woman he rescued in the last Christmas special. Donna provides a striking contrast to his normal companions, in that she isn't the typical starry eyed girl overwhelmed by the Doctor's adventures in time and space.

The Christmas special airs after a new "Sarah Jane Adventures" at 8 p.m. and precedes a new "Battlestar Galactica" at 10 p.m.

'DOLL HOUSE' NEWS: The cast of the new Joss Whedon series, set for next season and starring Eliza Dushku, continues to get more intriguing as TVGuy fave Amy Acker ("Angel") has joined up. She signs on with a cast that already includes Tahmoh Penikett ("Battlestar Galactica") and Olivia Williams ("Rushmore"). As if there was little doubt, this is the show I'm most looking forward to next season.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: The season, and possibly series, finale of "Canterbury's Law" (Fox, 9 p.m.) airs tonight.

On Saturday, the other "Doctor Who" spinoff, "Torchwood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) wraps up its second season in which the team, which barely survived the assassination attempt by Capt. John (James Marsters), has to prepare for another assault.

On Sunday, the fine miniseries "John Adams" (HBO, 9 p.m.) wraps up at the same time "The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.) continues. Also, "Masterpiece" (PBS, 9 p.m.) tells the tale of Rudyard Kipling and his son (Daniel Radcliffe), who goes missing in action during World War I.

'Eli's' Coming, With The Season Finale

ABC has cornered the market this season on whimsy, offering viewers the likes of the delightful "Pushing Daisies" and "Dirty Sexy Money."

Right up there has been the ever-improving "Eli Stone" (ABC, 10 p.m.), which wraps up its first season tonight with Eli (Jonny Lee Miller) in a coma after the surgery to remove his aneurysm goes wrong.

I'm pulling for both Eli Stone the character and "Eli Stone" the series to survive next season. It's one of those bubble shows that hasn't gotten a full commitment from ABC for next year.

(For a list of other shows and their chances, check out TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello's list here: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Ausiello-Scoop-Favorite/800037719)

It's been an interesting ride with Eli as he tries to cope with his visions, which include a plethora of George Michael songs, and his cases. The writers do a good job of making us care each week whether Eli and his law partners win such cases as the rights of prisoners or even two gay chimps who want to live together.

The supporting cast is also first-rate, especially the always-terrrific Victor Garber as Eli's boss and father figure. (Note to producers: include more musical numbers for Garber next season.)

And credit the producers for moving the story along. They could have dragged out Eli's secret being revealed or his relationship with his ex (Natasha Henstridge), and destroying the Golden Gate Bridge (through CGI) last week was particularly inspired, because it let the viewers know anything can happen. As a viewer, you don't expect to see something like that, so it proved to be a delightful surprise to me.

I always pull for shows that have a true sense of originality, and they don't come more original than "Eli Stone." Here's hoping we get a lot more George Michael numbers in the future.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: It's like a conspiracy that all of the networks get together and decide to put their best stuff on Thursdays. In the end, it's a victory for we, the viewers (and helps make up for crappy Wednesdays.)

In case you need a refresher for the return of "Lost" next week (at its new 10 p.m. time slot), ABC is running the last two episodes from a few weeks ago from 8-10 p.m. The first deals with Sun's pregnancy, making for one of the most poignant moments of the season, while the second one tells us what happened to Michael after leaving the island.

NBC's comedy lineup is all new, beginning with "My Name Is Earl." (NBC, 8 p.m.) Please let Earl get out of the coma, already. Jack tries to recruit Tracy to join the Republican Party on "30 Rock," while "The Office" gang fights for their parking spots, finishing with an all-new "Scrubs" before an all-new "ER" at 10 p.m.

Someone is definitely supposed to die soon on "Smallville" (CW, 8 p.m.) No spoilers here, but if I were a betting man, I'm guessing Lionel Luthor. It's followed by a rerun of "Supernatural," but it's the best episode of the season - Dean is killed over and over and over in the show's tribute to "Groundhog Day." If you have never seen this series before - and it's one of the most underrated shows on TV - this is the episode to catch, folks.

How Political Coverage Should Be

Tonight marks the very important Democratic Presidential Debate (ABC, 8 p.m.) in Pennsylvania.

Notice I only list it on one of the major networks. That's because it's only on one of the major networks.

The rest are showing original programming. So if a viewer could care less about the debates, he or she has other viewing options tonight. And if a viewer does care about the debates, he or she can watch them comfortably on one network.

I've never understood why every channel needs to air the same political speeches and debates when one will suffice. Is it important to air things like the State of the Union and the national conventions? Of course. Voters need to be informed on the issues, much more so than they probably are.

But why not rotate these events around the dial? ABC airs a debate tonight, NBC has the next one, CBS, and so on. Personally, I'm a little sick of the political process at this stage, and I don't think either candidate tonight - no matter which one you support - is going to say anything earth-shattering. It's more of a chance for a candidate to blurt out something wrong that will alienate voters rather than draw them in.

Just remember this posting when the conventions roll around for four days apiece during the summer on every network.

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: So, if you don't want to watch tonight's debate, here are your choices.

CBS has new episodes of "Criminal Minds" and "CSI: NY" after "Big Brother" at 8 p.m. (Come to think of it, watching the debate sounds better already.)

Fox returns with original episodes of the sitcoms "Til Death" and "Back To You" at 8 p.m., followed by the results show of "American Idol" at 9 p.m.

PBS has a pair of specials, "The Truth About Cancer" at 8 p.m. and "King Corn" at 10 p.m.

Finally, "Men In Trees" (ABC, 10 p.m.) airs a new episode after the debate.

A Bit More 'Lost' And 'Grey's'

If the bloggings seem light over the next couple of days, it's because I have a tremendous amount of stuff due in the paying side of my job, so apologies in advance.

Just a quick note today to deliver some good news. ABC announced that both "Lost" and "Grey's Anatomy" will have an extra hour apiece added to their post-strike orders.

The tricky bit is that "Lost" needed an extra hour to tell the season finale the way Team Darlton wanted to, but because of the way the schedule worked out ("Lost's" finale is essentially a three-hour long episode), ABC needed an extra hour filled, so it ordered another "Grey's."

The one bad thing, though, is that the first part of the "Lost" finale will air May 15, but we then get a two-week break before the final two hours air May 29, because Team Darlton felt it better not to break up those final two hours. So ABC will air the "Ugly Betty" and "Grey's" finales during that May 22 run, while the May 15 "Lost" will re-air in the 8 p.m. time slot May 29, making it an all-"Lost" night.

Ironically, none of this will help ABC much ratings-wise, because sweeps end May 21, meaning all of ABC's heavy hitters will be airing their finales after that key ratings period.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Abby tries to prove a dog's innnocence on "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.) That's one of the reasons I love this particular procedural - it's exactly the sort of thing Abby would do. Top that, CSI!

ABC airs a new "Boston Legal" at 10 p.m. following the "Dancing With The Stars" results show. Fox is all-reality with "American Idol" and "Hell's Kitchen," while NBC delivers a new "Law & Order: SVU" at 10 p.m. after the finale of "The Biggest Loser."

Finally, a new "The Riches" (FX, 10 p.m.) airs.

Them 'Bones,' Them 'Bones,' Them Dry 'Bones'

One of my favorite procedurals, "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.) returns tonight with a brand-new episode.

I bring this up because it's hard to think of a drama that has had the success that "Bones" has had considering how much the network yanks it around the schedule. But as star David Boreanaz pointed out in a phone interview Friday, the "Bones" audience is particularly loyal.

"We've proven that whatever day we're on, the fans will follow," he said.

What makes "Bones" so enjoyable for me, and I think for other fans of the series, is the appeal of the characters. Much like "NCIS" on CBS, we've come to care more about the characters than we do about the forensic mystery each week, in large part because the chemistry of the cast is so good. And, much like "NCIS," both shows know how to lighten things up.

Of course, the big question on "Bones" is whether the two leads, Boreanaz's FBI agent Booth and Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel) will get together romantically. Boreanaz had an interesting response to that.

"I think they already are," he said. "The two characters drive the plotlines, which brings them closer together or pulls them apart."

Boreanaz pointed to the now-famous kiss between the two during the show's Christmas episode this season. Much like everyting else on "Bones," it was unconventional: they kiss because they are essentially dared to.

But that doesn't mean the two characters will jump into bed any time soon.

"We're not at a place where we're going to go the whole nine (yards)," he said. "We're going to keep teasing."

Boreanaz said the serial killer plot thread the show has revolved around most of the season will be resolved. It had to be altered slightly because of the strike. Initially, when it looked as if the season would be cut short, it was going to be a two-part cliffhanger, but with additional episodes added on after the strike, the producers altered their plans slightly.

Also, expect more of the young shrink Sweets to be in the mix -- and don't expect Booth to stop teasing him any time soon about his age, Boreanaz said.

"Sweets fits in perfectly," he said. "It's a great idea to see (Bones and Booth) going through therapy."

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: Following "Bones" is the season finale of "New Amsterdam" (Fox, 9 p.m.), a series that has become pretty enjoyable and I hope gets renewed.

CBS is all-new with its comedy lineup, followed by a new "CSI: Miami" at 10 p.m.

"Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.) is all-new, in the plum timeslot between "Dancing With The Stars" and "The Bachelor."

'Sarah Jane' Good For The Kids

It wouldn't be hard to argue among us old-school "Doctor Who" fans that Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) is the most popular of the Doctor's long list of companions.

Sarah Jane, an investigative reporter who travelled with the Doctor through parts of his Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker incarnations in the 1970s, and was the companion they chose to base the spinoff "K-9 & Co." in 1983. She was also brought back for the 20th anniversary special, "The Five Doctors" that same year.

When producer Russell T. Davies revived "Doctor Who," Sarah Jane was the lone human character brought back from the original series to the new one in the episode "School Days."

Now Sarah Jane is back with "The Sarah Jane Adventures" (Sci-Fi, 7:30 p.m.) the newest spinoff to the "Who" franchise. Unlike the other spinoff, the adult-oriented "Torchwood," "SJA" is aimed squarely at the kids' audience. That's not to say adults won't find the show enjoyable in a whimsical sort of way, but "SJA" falls into the "family" category.

Sarah Jane, fresh off her adventure with the Doctor, has taken up investigative reporting again full-time. But the Doctor has left her with a bunch of gadgets that allow her to combat alien menaces when she uncovers them.

A teenage girl named Maria (Yasmin Page) moves into the house next-door to Sarah Jane, and one night catches her neighbor having a conversation with an alien. Needless to say, she's intrigued. Maria will become the companion as Sarah Jane takes on the Doctor-like hero's role as they investigate a soda pop factory.

Sladen, looking fantastic at 60 (all those years in the TARDIS must really do stop the aging process) steps back into her character with ease and confidence, and seems to be having fun. She's also the den mother to Maria and other kids who pop up in the first two episodes.

For parents looking to introduce their kids to science fiction without worrying about scaring them, "SJA" is a good start. And it's a good warm-up for the return of all-new episodes of "Doctor Who" beginning next week.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: Sci-Fi fans are in for a treat. Not only is there the 90-minute debut of "SJA," but it's followed by two new episodes of "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci-Fi, 9 p.m.)

CBS returns with new episodes of "Ghost Whisperer" at 8 p.m. and "Numb3rs" at 10 p.m.

The documentary "Meeting David Wilson" (MSNBC, 9 p.m.) has gotten a lot of buzz as a commentary about race relations in this country. It follows a young black man named David Wilson, who travels to North Carolina in search of his roots, including meeting the great-grandson of the slave-owner who is also a distant relative of Wilson's.

Enjoy "Canterbury's Law" (Fox, 9 p.m.) while you can: it almost certainly won't be renewed.

The Miss USA Pageant airs tonight at 9 p.m. on NBC.

On Saturday, "Torchwood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.), the "Doctor Who" spinoff you probably don't want your kids watching, airs its penultimate episode for this season.

Sunday marks the return of "Desperate Housewives" (ABC, 9 p.m.), followed by a new episode of "Eli Stone" (ABC, 10 p.m.) on a special night, as well as the return of Lurleen Lumpkin (Beverly D'Angelo) on "The Simpsons" (Fox, 8 p.m.)

"Masterpiece" (PBS, 9 p.m.) begins a remake of E.M. Forster's "Room With A View." And speaking of costumed historical dramas, there are new episodes of "John Adams" (HBO, 9 p.m.) and "The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.)

New episodes of "Cold Case" (CBS, 9 p.m.) and "Dexter" (well, new for CBS at least) also air.

Finally, the documentary "The Human Footprint" airs at 9 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel

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'Idol' Gives Back, Again

No matter whether you are a fan of "American Idol" or not, it's undeniable the show's impact in terms of viewers reached.

Last year, the producers started "Idol Gives Back," in which they took a week out of the competition to raise money for charity. Throwing in major stars into the mix, "AI" raised more than $76 million last year for various charities.

Tonight, the producers hope to surpass that total when the special airs at an early time (Fox, 7:30 p.m.) In addition to the "AI" contestants, participants include Bono, Mariah Carey, Billy Crystal, Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion, Fergie, John Legend, Annie Lennox, Maroon 5, Brad Pitt, Snoop Dogg and Reese Witherspoon. Former "AI" stars Chris Daughtry, Fantasia, Elliott Yamin and Carrie Underwood will also perform, and all three Presidential candidates will take part as well.

Though I'm not an "AI" fan by any stretch, it is nice when TV can have a positive impact on society, and the idea of using TV's highest-rated show for charity is a pretty sound one. Here's hoping they reach last year's total and beyond.

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: Against the "AI" juggernaut, the other networks seem to be holding back, which is probably a smart move. Only CBS has new dramatic offerings with new episodes of "Criminal Minds" at 9 p.m. and "CSI: NY" at 10 p.m.

I Have No Secret Talent

Some might say I have no overt talent, either, but I sure don't have any secret ones.

I suppose if that bothered me, I could live vicariously through celebrities, who will be competing tonight (CBS, 10 p.m.) in the latest so-called reality offering.

Kicking things off is country singer's Clint Black's attempt at standup comedy; contortionism from Olympic skater Sasha Cohen; and tap dancing from Mya. I guess my personal favorite, though, is "Star Trek's" George Takei, who will be performing country music. (I could totally see him doing Johnny Cash).

From the old-school "Battle of the Network Stars" to "Celebrity Apprentice," we seem to love our celebrities competing for something, so this should be fitting right in with the American viewing public.

'RUNWAY' ON THE MOVE?: NBC/Bravo is in litigation with The Weinstein Co. over the mega-reality hit "Project Runway." The show, one of the mainstays for the Bravo network, signed a new five-year deal with Lifetime that is set to begin in the fall, but NBC (which owns Bravo) is suing to block the move over contractual issues. Considering how huge a property "Runway" is, this is a suit that won't be going away quietly.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: "NCIS" (CBS, 8 p.m.) returns with its first new post-strike episode. TVGuide.com's Michael Ausiello is reporting one member of the cast is leaving at the end of the season in a plot twist, but doesn't say who. Well, I know it's not Gibbs (Mark Harmon), and the show would suck if they lost Tony, Ziva, Abby or McGee or even Ducky, so I'm hoping it means Jenny.

"Boston Legal" (ABC, 10 p.m.) also returns with its first post-strike new episode.

On cable, "The Riches" (FX, 10 p.m.) is brand-new, while HBO is showing the documentary "The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo" at 10 p.m.

ABC's New Strategy

It's been no secret that ABC hasn't developed a truly great sitcom in recent memory.

While it's had a couple of decent ones this year - the just-finished "Miss Guided" and "Samantha Who?" (ABC, 9:30 p.m.), which returns tonight - this is the same network that also brought us "Cavemen" and "Carpoolers."

So somebody had the bright idea of poaching some good sitcoms off other networks. ABC has already made it all-but-official that it will be picking up the final season of "Scrubs" now that NBC has dropped the show.

Now, according to the trades, the network is looking at CBS' "New Adventures of Old Christine," a wickedly funny bubble show that may or may not be renewed by The Eye.

If ABC picks up both shows, it would give the network two solidly, critically praised sitcoms, something it hasn't had, I think, in my lifetime.

It's a wonder that ABC can create some of the most innovative, clever dramas ("Lost," "Pushing Daisies," "Eli Stone" et. al.) but can't do the same with its 30-minute shows. Here's hoping they've picked up on a new idea and let the other networks do the heavy lifting before grabbing some good sitcoms up.

MONDAY'S BEST BETS: Meanwhile, ABC will have to be content with the boffo ratings it gets from its reality offerings, "Dancing With The Stars" at 8 p.m. and "The Bachelor" at 10 p.m.

CBS is picking its best-rated but worst comedies to precede tonight's NCAA Basketball Championship (CBS, 9 p.m.) with "Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men," beginning at 8 p.m.

Fox has what I believe is the penultimate "New Amsterdam" for this season at 9 p.m., while NBC airs a new "Medium" at 10 p.m.

Peabodys Recognize Colbert Nation

The prestigious George Foster Peabody Awards were announced earlier this week, and once again, judges showed an eclectic taste among the entertainment winners.

Among the honorees were "Mad Men," one of TV's best new dramas of 2007; "Project Runway," arguably the most popular reality series on cable; and "The Colbert Report," Stephen Colbert's send-up of "The O'Reilly Factor" on Comedy Central.

I find the last one to be particularly funny and ironic, because several years ago O'Reilly had claimed to be a Peabody winner. When it was shown that he wasn't, he claims to have gotten the award mixed up with another. That's a bit like me claiming to have won a Pulitzer when in fact I won something from the Georgia Sports Writers Association a few years back.

Colbert celebrated in typical fashion last night, coming up with stickers that say "Peabody Winner" that he's going to put on everything.

The Peabodys have been around for 67 years and are awarded by the University of Georgia. Eons ago, when I attended the Harvard of the South, I was a student judge for the Peabodys. It's an interesting process, because the committee - me and two faculty/staff members - made our recommendations to the final judges in the Education Category. Pretty much nothing we recommended ended up winning, while things we didn't recommend got honored.

For example, we reviewed a CBS special called "Words Up," starring Kadeem Hardison in a comic tale that taught the value of adult literacy. CBS' description didn't do the special justice. When we read the blurb, all of us were like "Let's watch five minutes of this." But in the end, it was the best thing we saw, by far, and the one special we all agreed absolutely deserved to win. It didn't.

But a documentary about a guy sailing around the world, which didn't have a lot of educational value and wasn't recommended by my committee, did win one. So your guess is as good as mine as to how these things are actually picked.

But this year's list has some fine choices.

WEEKEND'S BEST BETS: It's less than 12 hours to the season premiere of "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi, 10 p.m.), but the network will upload the video to scifi.com at noon. I'm going to make a recommendation here: Don't watch it online. Here's why: The effects at the beginning of the episode are so good, you'll want to watch them on the biggest TV you can find. A 15-inch computer monitor won't do it justice. Plus, Sci Fi is airing the final two episodes of last season from 8-10 p.m., so you can refresh what is happening in your mind. I know it's difficult, but you've waited many months for this, why not wait another 10 hours and watch it as it should be seen?

CBS returns with new episodes of "Ghost Whisperer" at 8 p.m. and "Numb3rs" at 10 p.m.

"Canterbury's Law" (Fox, 9 p.m.) is new for right now, but sent to the death grounds of Friday nights isn't a good sign.

The hit ABC game show "Duel" (ABC, 9 p.m.) returns for a new season. This show wasn't bad the first time around, but the strategy is fairly simple - save a couple of chips early on if you can, and force your opponent to use all of his or hers.

Spike is showing the Star Wars trilogy - Episodes 1 through 3 - all weekend long beginning tonight with "The Phantom Menace" at 9 p.m.

On Saturday, "Torchwood" (BBC America, 9 p.m.) is all new. Also, the NCAA Tournament's Final Four begins with UCLA versus Memphis (CBS, 6 p.m.) followed by North Carolina versus Kansas at 8:30 p.m.

On Sunday, the mystery series "Wire In The Blood" (BBC American, 8 p.m.) airs a two-hour TV movie, while the miniseries "John Adams" (HBO, 9 p.m.) and "The Tudors" (Showtime, 9 p.m.) continue. "Cold Case" (CBS, 9 p.m.) is brand-new followed by "Dexter," which is new if you didn't catch the series on Showtime.

Speaking of which, NBC will beginning airing episodes of "Monk" and "Psych" beginning at 8 p.m. These are reruns that ran on NBC's sister network, USA.

It's Official: FNL Is Back!

NBC delivered the good news Wednesday. One of TV's best dramas, "Friday Night Lights," will be back for a third season next fall.

The network worked out a deal with DirecTV, which will show the episodes on its channel, "The 101," beginning Oct. 1. NBC will then broadcast the series beginning after the Super Bowl in its regular Friday night timeslot.

Of course, for those of us who don't have DirecTV, that means we have to wait until February, and NBC is only making 13 episodes. But for those of us rabid fans of the series, it's well worth the wait, and 13 episodes is certainly a lot better than zero, which seemed to be "FNL's" fate a few months ago.

There's been no official word as to when the series will pick up, but rumors abound that it will be the start of the next football season (senior year for Matt, Landry and Riggins) when it does resume. No word on which cast members are returning, or if new ones will be added.

This new partnership may be the future of TV, since it has become more expensive to produce dramatic programming, and in the age of DVRs, commercial programming is about to undergo a major paradigm overhaul. But if the changing face of TV means keeping the "Lights" on, I'm all for it.

Other returning NBC shows announced Wednesday include: Lipstick Jungle, Medium, Law & Order, L&O: SVU and the 15th and final season of ER.

New shows on the slate include: The Office spinoff, My Own Worst Enemy, Kath & Kim, Knight Rider, Robinson Crusoe, Kings, The Philanthropist, The Listener, Shark Taggers, America's Toughest Jobs and Chopping Block, plus the miniseries The Last Templar and XIII.

THURSDAY'S BEST BETS: Jeff Zucker has often been the object of criticism on this blog, but his guest appearance at the beginning of "My Name Is Earl" (NBC, 8 p.m.) is the highlight of the hour-long episode. While in a coma, Earl imagines his life to be 60s-style sitcom. Paris Hilton also guest-stars in the episode. It's followed by four reruns of "The Office."

"Miss Guided" (ABC, 8 p.m.) wraps up its brief run tonight, and after a "Lost" rerun, "Eli Stone" is new at 10 p.m.

Finally, "CSI" (CBS, 9 p.m.) and "Without A Trace" (CBS, 10 p.m.) return with their first new, post-strike episodes.

Absolutely Frak-Tastic!

I could fill five blog posts as to why "Battlestar Galactica" is the best show on TV right now, and still barely scratch the surface.

Layers upon layers of depth in the writing, great casting and great storytelling make this show an absolute compulsion to watch.

The Lords of Cobol smiled upon me yesterday with an advanced copy of this week's season premiere (Sci-Fi, Fri., 10 p.m.) and for those BSG fans complaining about the length of time they've had to wait for it, all I can say is: it's well worth the wait.

If you need refreshing on what's been happening through the course of the series, Sci-Fi is airing reruns from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. every day this week, but here's a quick refresher from last season's finale:

--Baltar was found not guilty of betraying humanity and spirited off by a group of women.
--Roslin has informed the fleet that her cancer has returned.
--The fleet is under attack by a massive Cylon force.
--Starbuck appears in the final few seconds, back apparently from the dead, telling Apollo that she's been to Earth and will lead humanity there.
--And, oh yeah, four key characters - Anders, Tigh, Tyrol and Tori - all hear Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" and discover they are four of the five unknown Cylon units.

There's some serious stuff going on.

Sci-Fi asked critics not to give away spoilers for the premiere, which I would never do anyway, so all of you will have plenty of opportunities to scream "What the frak!?" at your TV?

You will be doing that A LOT.

This is what I can say about the premiere:

--Baltar has more luck than anyone in the fleet; the lovely women who rescued him after the trial are essentially Baltar groupies.
--The action picks up this season literally about three seconds after last season's finale.
--Starbuck offers a partial explanation as to what she thinks happened to her; not many people are willing to believe her.
--Apollo makes a decision about his future in the fleet.
--The identity of the final 12th Cylon model isn't revealed.

This last item is especially important, because based on the opening credits, that will seemingly be a looming question for both the humans and the Cylons for much of the final season.

Just from my own speculation - and this comes from watching the entire series, not just the season premiere - the three likeliest candidates for the No. 12 unit are:

--Starbuck. It doesn't spoil anything to say that when a character presumed dead returns, an awful lot of people are going to speculate that she's a Cylon. And for some of the things the premiere answers about her disappearance, even more questions are raised.
--Baltar. Why does he continue to get so lucky, and is it luck? Why do he and Six continue to see visions of each other? Baltar himself has questioned whether he is a Cylon, and has never gotten a satisfactory answer.
--Roslin. True, having cancer would seem to indicate she is human, but the vision she had in last season's finale that she shared with both Boomer and Six may indicate a closer connection to the Cylons than she thinks.
--None of the above. Most of the Cylon models that have appeared in the fleet have been seeming background characters, so it may not be one of the stars of the show.

When it's on its game (about 99.9 percent of the time), "BSG" is what science fiction should be: a terrific commentary on modern society, and an examination of the human condition in other-than-normal circumstances.

For me, the best episodes have centered around how humanity must conduct itself to survive. Roslin has to outlaw abortion not because of religious beliefs, but because there are only 40,000 humans left in existence and they need to make babies in order to survive as a species.

Or, as Tyrol points out, humans are training their children to take over their jobs because they are essential to the survival of the human race. But by working on a fuel ship, that's all those children can ever be. Humanity, through its effort to survive, is essentially creating a class of slaves.

I even feel it when a Viper pilot is killed, because that's one less Viper now at Adama's disposal, and one less trained person to defend the fleet. There are no replacements coming.

My final comment on the "BSG" premiere is to watch it on the biggest screen possible. The effects sequence during the opening of the episode is major motion picture quality, and the better the TV, the more enjoyable it will be.

And you will enjoy it, trust me.

AROUND THE DIAL: I neglected to lavish praise upon "How I Met Your Mother," which may have had its best episode of the season on Monday. Fans should check out TedMosbyIsAJerk.com for more fun. From the NCAA brackets to the "Doogie Howser" tribute, HIMYM showed once more why it's TV's best sitcom. Also, expect an appearance from James Van Der Beek later this season.

WEDNESDAY'S BEST BETS: CBS, which has been quicker out of the post-strike gates with new episodes than any other broadcaster, returns two more of its crime dramas tonight with "Criminal Minds" at 9 p.m. and "CSI: NY" at 10 p.m.

"Men In Trees" (ABC, 10 p.m.) is new tonight as well. Enjoy it while you can, because this doesn't look good for renewal.

Finally, the PBS special, "Caring For Your Parents" has gotten some critical praise, and may be worth checking out. It's on at 9 p.m.

Those Mean English

Last week, Piers Morgan won "Celebrity Apprentice" even though producers essentially cast him as "the bad guy" compared to All-American cowboy Trace Adkins.

One of the keys to Morgan's victory was calling in help from "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, routinely cast as the villain on that show.

Tonight, perhaps the "meanest" of all is back with chef Gordon Ramsey, who brings back a new season of "Hell's Kitchen" (Fox, 9 p.m.) Fox promotes the show by showing clips of Ramsey berating the various chefs on the show.

Being half-English myself, I have to wonder why the English are so often cast as the villains on these reality shows. Are there hard feelings left over from the Boston Tea Party?

The interesting thing is, if you actually watch the shows, most of these guys aren't particularly villainous. Morgan was smug when Omarosa lost again and again, and his tactics may have been underhanded, but as he pointed out, the goal was to win each week. Donald Trump himself has kicked people off "The Apprentice" for NOT using certain tactics to win. And Morgan showed a lot of class both in talking about Adkins and in representing his charity, to aid wounded American soldiers.

Cowell has been the king of the bad guys, but in the bits of "AI" I've seen over the years, the only time he gets really nasty with his comments are for the people trying out and who are clearly there to play for the camera - not the serious contestants who are actually trying. The times I've watched, I've actually seen Randy Jackson be more mean than Cowell. And when Cowell does give praise to a contestant, it seems to mean a lot more, because you know he doesn't give out that much of it.

I haven't watched "Hell's Kitchen," but I know Ramsay does do a lot of charity work, so I'm wondering how much of it is him being sincerely mean and how much of it is editing and playing to the camera.

So let's stop stereotyping the English guys as the bad guys next time a new reality show comes along.

TUESDAY'S BEST BETS: Barbara Walters explores the idea of living to be 150 (ABC, 10 p.m.) Me? I'm taking it one day at a time.

"CSI: Miami" (CBS, 10 p.m.) concludes a two-parter from last night. I'm guessing David Caruso will make a dramatic gesture with his sunglasses at some point.

And finally, you can catch that mean Simon Cowell on "American Idol" (Fox, 8 p.m.)